Last week we attended the Chef’s Roast Honoring Chef Tom Colicchio. The food star studded event featured local celebrities like Spike Mendelsohn and Erik Bruner-Yang and international celebrities like Padma Lakshmi. Since we shared a meal with the chefs, we figured we should find out what they eat while snacking at home.
Spike Mendelsohn
Restauranteur and DC Food Policy Council Chair
“I love kale chips. I think it’s our go-to answer when we’re stumped. I also really like dried apricots.”
Richard Blais
Chef, Restaurateur, Author, Television Personality
“My wife makes a lot of kale chips, which is incredibly cliche and I’m embarrassed that I said that out loud. She does make them so I do enjoy them. I love yogurt too.”
Emily Luchetti
Chief Pastry Officer – Big Night Restaurant Group
“I’m a pastry chef so I always try to think of comfort food that is something besides a chocolate chip cookie. My comfort food that I love to go to when I really want a snack is brown rice with really good olive oil and Maldon salt on top of it.”
Bill Telepan
Executive Chef of Wellness in the Schools (WITS)
“Every Sunday I create a big bag of vegetables. This week I did cauliflower, broccoli, string beans, brussels sprouts and carrots. Tonight my wife and daughter are having chili with rice and sauteed vegetables. On Wednesday I’m going to make a Lo Mein with those vegetables. On Thursday I’m going to make a salmon teriyaki rice bowl. On Friday my wife is gonna roast some and have with her pizza. Then on Saturday I’ll make a little salad with the leftovers.”
Lee Anne Wong
Chef/Partner – Koko Head Cafe, Hale Ohuna
“I make a kale Caesar salad for myself about two, three nights a week.”
Erik Bruner-Yang
Chef and Owner – Toki Underground, Maketto and Honeycomb
*laughter*
Kerry Heffernan
Executive Chef – Grand Banks, Chef Member Blue Ribbon Panel at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seafood Watch
“It’s gotta be seaweed. Seaweed crisps, there’s so many different kinds. It’s important because anything that essentially is marine-based plant life is the future and the closer we can get to consuming that on a daily basis is really a good thing.”
Alex Wagner
MSNBC Host and Political Analyst
“Raw broccoli.”
Sam Talbot
Executive Chef – The Surf Lodge, The Pig and Poet
“I’m a sucker for a kale chip. You go to the farmer’s market for fresh kale. You take the stems, you set them aside and then you juice them. Set the oven to about 310 degrees, massage the kale with a little bit of olive oil and a touch of lemon juice. Then you bake them for about 25 minutes until they turn GBD. Then you take a little bit of furikake, the Japanese seasoning. Sprinkle that over the top with some fresh nori and sea salt. Voila!”
Eric Kessler
Chair – Food Action Network
“Popcorn with hemp seeds.”
Padma Lakshmi
Host – Top Chef
“Honestly, I really enjoy cottage cheese, so does my daughter. I put hot sauce on it, she puts pomegranate seeds on it. We love it.”
